WendyJeanneShuster

Wendy Jeanne Shuster STONE RIDGE - Wendy Jeanne Shuster, 50, passed away in the early afternoon of Tuesday June 11, 2013, surrounded by her loving family. Wendy was born May 6, 1963 in Nyack, N.Y. She graduated from Rondout Valley High School in 1981 and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Bucknell University, graduating in 1985. Wendy was a long-time resident of the Hudson Valley and was an exhibiting visual artist based in Tivoli and, later, in Hudson. She completed four years of advanced work with Nicholas Buhalis in his Woodstock and N.Y.C. studios, with additional study at the Sorbonne-Paris, Bard College, Art Students League and Pratt Institute, among others. Art residencies in Mexico, Paris, Bordeaux, and Ghana inspired her personal and artistic growth and exploration. Wendy was a gifted teacher and taught drawing, painting and sculpture for over 18 years. She founded and directed a teaching studio in the Hudson Valley, later expanding its reach to New York City. She also taught in independent art programs in Montana and Hudson Valley community colleges, as well as at Pratt Institute and CUNY-Hunter in N.Y.C. Her most recent works involved an innovative approach to capture dancers in motion, some of which were recently reproduced in ”CQ”, a journal of contemporary dance. Her works have been exhibited extensively throughout the Hudson valley, in New York City and elsewhere. Wendy spent the summers of her childhood playing and exploring at her family's camp in New Hampshire. She loved to swim, fish, draw, read Nancy Drew, hike, pick blueberries and catch frogs. Her love of the outdoors, including hiking, enjoying views of the Hudson River, or just basking in the sun's warmth continued throughout her life. She confidently led her brothers and sister in creative exploits and, when the occasion called for it, was fearlessly protective of them. She played the flute and played it well. Wendy loved all things organic. She was ardent in her love of color and could put a name to any hue, anywhere. She had a life-long passion for food and travel. She had a twinkle in her eye reserved especially for children. Wendy is survived by her parents, Dan and Nancy Shuster of Stone Ridge, her sister Laurel Jarvis and her husband John, her brother Douglas and his wife Regina, her brother Mark and his wife Janice, and her nieces and nephews Erin, Danny, Zach, Nico, Samantha, Sarai, and Max. She will truly be missed by her family and friends. Her family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to her devoted friends and caretakers who gave her comfort and strength in her time of need. A memorial service will be held at Clermont State Park, in Germantown, N.Y., on June 23, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. Wendy's family suggests that memorial contributions be made to either Breast Cancer Options, 101 Hurley Ave., Suite 10, Kingston, N.Y., 12401 or the “Wendy J. Shuster Visual Arts Scholarship”, c/o Rondout Valley Scholarship Fund , P.O. Box 96, Stone Ridge, N.Y., 12484.

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